Bathing suit with attached brassiere



March 30, 1965 v. KANE 3,175,559

BATHING SUIT WITH ATTACHED BRASSIERE Filed Oct. 26. 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Virginia Bowman Kone wozafm AGE NT.

INVENTOR."

March 30, 1965 I v. B. KANE BATHING SUIT WITH ATTACHED BRASSIERE 2 She ets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 26. 1961 FIG.8

FIG.7

IN VE N TOR" Virginia Bowman Kon'e by (Hi/72A AGENT.

United States Patent 3,175,559 BATHING SUIT WITH ATTACHED BRASSIERE Virginia Bowman Kane, 305 E. 17th St., New York, N.Y. Filed Oct. 26, 1961, Ser. No. 147,936

6 Claims. (Cl. 128-455) This invention relates in general to garments having integrally formed brassieres, and, more particularly, to womens bathing suits.

As new bathing suit fabrics, which are more delicate, thin, gossamer and flexible, are used in modern bathing suits, the seams in underlying attached brassieres tend increasingly to show through the suit to its detriment. In certain other garments, such as evening dresses, a like problem may be encountered. It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a garment construction in a garment having an attached brassiere in which seams created in the fabrication of the brassiere will be less likely to noticeably show through the overlying garment.

Another object of this invention is to provide a garment and an attached brassiere with the attached brassiere having a gusset construction on the under side of each bust cup and with the overlying garment having decorative panels, the upper ends of which substantially correspond with the gussets in the brassiere.

A further object of this invention is to provide a bathing suit having few or no utilitarian seams as all or most of the seams serve a decorative function.

Many other objects, advantages and features of invention reside in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts involved in the embodiments of the invention and its practice as it will be understood from the following description and accompanying drawings where- FIGURE 1 is a back view of a fragment of an upper portion of a bathing suit constructed according to my invention with half of the attached brassiere broken away;

FIGURE 2 is a front view of an attached brassiere as it is used in the practice of this invention;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of a stitching which may be used in my invention;

FIGURE 3A is a section taken on line 3A3A of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 3B is a back view of a fragment of a brassiere modified according to this invention;

FIGURE 3C is a perspective view of an insert; and a FIGURES 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 are views showing various bathing suit constructions according to'rny invention.

Referring to the drawings in detaiL'FIGURES 1 and 2 show a brassiere 10 which is formed from two center panels 11 and 12 which are joined together at their in Wardly disposed edges 13. These inner panels 11 and 12 may be made of a non-elastic woven nylon, cotton or the like. The outer panels 14 and 15 have the triangular gussets 16 and 17 stitched at the seams 18 and 19 to their lower inner edges. Both the gussets 16 and 17 and the outer panels 14 and 15 are joined to the center panels 11 and 12 by stitching at the seams 20 and 21. The outer panels 14 and 15 are best made from leno or pick and pick or other suitable stretchable material. The triangular gussets 16 and 17 may be formed of Teflon, foam rubber, or other laminated stiffening. A strip of finished edged elastic 22 is sewed along the lower edge of the brassiere 10.

Referring further to FIGURES 1 and 2, a bathing suit 23 is formed with a front panel 24 and side panels 25 and 26. Side panel 25 is joined to front panel 24 by the stitching of seam 27. Long gores or inserts 29 and 30 extend upward between the lower portion of the front panel 24 and the side panels 25 and 26. Insert 29 is joined to side panel 25 by stitching at seam 31, side panel 26 is joined to insert 30 by stitching at seam 32, and the front panel 24 is joined to inserts 29 and 30 by the stitching of seams 33 and 34. The brassiere 10 is best secured to bathing suit 23 by means of stitching 35 which extends along and joins the top of center panels 11 and 12 to front panel 24 and extends along and joins the top and sides of outer panels 14 and 15 to the side panels 25 and 26. Depending upon the nature and style of the garment embodying my invention, straps 36 and 37 may be secured at appropriate locations.

From the foregoing description it may be seen that the seams in brassiere 10 substantially correspond to those in the bathing suit 23. The substantial correspondence between the seams in the brassiere and the outer garment enables the outer garment to be designed using these necessary seams in a decorative manner. The main seams in a brassiere which would show through a conventional outer garment are those about the gussets indicated by the reference numerals 18 and 20 in FIGURE 1. This results from the fact that the gussets 16 and 17 extend beneath the breast of a wearer and support its weight and this weight would impress the underlying brassiere seams through a conventional outer garment. The various bathing suit designs shown in FIGURES 4 through 9, which may be constructed according to this invention, all have decorative panels inserted in such a way that seams formed about the decorative panels substantially correspond to seams formed about the gussets 16 and 17 of an underlying brassiere 10. The substantial correspondence of the overlying seams prevents the eye from recognizing the impression made by the underlying seams.

As shown in FIGURE 4, the bathing suit 46 has two decorative diamond shaped panels 41 and 42, the upper corners of which substantially correspond to gussets in an underlying brassiere. An additional diamond shaped decorative panel 43, the front panels 44, 45, 46 and 47, and the side panels 48 and 49 complete suit 40.

Suit 50, as shown in FIGURE 5, has two long pointed decorative inserts 51 and 52 set on either side of a single front panel 53. The side panels 54 and 55 extend outwardly on either side of the inserts 51 and 52. The upper ends of the inserts 51 and 52 substantially correspond to underlying gussets.

Suit 6% as shown in FIGURE 6, has two elongated and upwardly rounded inserts 61 and 62 set on either side of a center panel 63. Because the inserts 61 and 62 have their upper portions rounded, suit has a more rounded bust line than would suit 50 with its pointed inserts. The gussets in the underlying brassiere under suit 60 may also be correspondingly rounded rather than triangular; however, should the brassiere shown in FIGURE 2 be fixed to suit 60, the relatively close correspondence of the seams will not make those of the underlying brassiere too obvious.

As shown in FIGURE 7, a decorative center panel 71 is set between two side panels 72 and 73. A front panel 74 is disposed above the center panel 71. The decorative center panel 71 is formed in the shape of a large fish which substantially covers the entire front of suit 70. The upper portion of panel 71 represents the flukes 75 and 3 76 ot the fishs tail. The flakes 75 and 76 substantially overlie the gussets of the underlying brassiere 10.

FIGURE 8 shows a suit 80 made from two side panels 81 and '82 which are joined by a central seam 83. A Vsshaped decorative panel 84 extends between the side panels 81 and 82. The upper portions of panel 84 extend substantially over the gussets of an underlying brassiere. The decorative panel 84 may be made from a single piece of material or from three pieces 85, 86 and 87 as shown. The use of several pieces in forming panel 84 enables the creation of more interesting color combinations.

Suit 90, as shown in FIGURE 9, has two decorative panels 91 and 92 extending upward on either side of a front panel 93. ends of decorative panels 91 and 92 extend a slight distance above the apex of the breast. This creates a more rounded bust line. The underlying brassiere beneath suit 90 may also have its gussets extend above the apex of the breast so that its seams'will not be readily Visible.

While the suits shown in FIGURES 4 through 9 are shown having pants, they could just as easily be made with skirts.

This invention gives rise to many advantages. In expensive suits double thicknesses of material forming the inner panels 11 and 12 may be used so that the seams adjacent stitching 2t and 21 will not be raw seams showing an edge of the material. In cheaper suits, however, only single thicknesses of material will be used for the sake of economy and the resulting raw seams will be more likely to show. For this reason in cheaper suits, the seams above the overlying garment will be made to more closely correspond to those of the underlying brassiere.

For particular designs of given bathing suits such as those shown in FIGURES 6 and 9, the brassiere can be made with its seams exactly corresponding to those of the outer garment.

Bust cup-s generally increase in size one-quarter of an inch in each dimension for each larger size. To insure a more perfect fit, seams 2'0 and 210i the underlying brassiere' and corresponding portions of seams on the overlying suit may be stitched as shown in FIGURES 3 and 3A. A Merrow stitch 97 joins and secures the raw edges of the pieces 94'and 95 to be joined. Disposed behind the stitch 97 is the Singer or Safety stitching 98. Disposed 1a sixteenth of an inch [from the safety stitching 98 is the chain stitching 99. This stitching enables a buyer to remove the easily pulled chain stitching 99 and increase the bust cup size of an underlying brassiere 10. Because the seams of an underlying brassiere and an outer garment correspond, a corresponding seam ot the outer garment may also be sewn as shown in FIG- URES 3 and 3A so that the outer garment may also be enlarged to fit the underlying enlarged brassiere.

As shown in FIGURES 3B and 3C, the gussets of the underlying brassiere 19' may be fiormed of a double layer of material so that each gusset 100 forms an inverted triangular pocket open at its lower edge. The lower edge of this pocket may be closed from the inside by any suitable means such as a snap 101. As shown in FIG- URE 3C, one or more inserts 102 may be inserted in the pockets formed by gussets- 100 to support a smaller breast and obtain a closer fit. These inserts 102 may be formed from one-sixteenth inch thick foam rubber laminated to cotton or other cloth. One-sixteenth thickness Pellon may also be used with a suitable cloth laminated to it for appearance. If two inserts 102 come within each pocket formed by a gusset :100, a wearer may remove one or more inserts 102 to obtain a perfect fit.

Referring now to FIGURE 2, it is obvious that the inserts will cause a triangular thickening about the gussets 17 and 18 which would be obvious if brassiere were used within a ocnventional outer suit 23. However, since at least the seams on each side of the gussets l7 and 1-8 and seams about adecorative panel29' or 30 in an outer It is to be noted that the pointed upper suit 23 correspond, the triangular projections caused by the inserts 192 will not be obvious.

While I have disclosed my invention in the best forms known to me, it will nevertheless be understood that these are purely exemplary and that modification in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts, the substitution of materials and the substitution of equivalents may be made Without departing from the spirit of the invention except as it may be more limited in the appended claims wherein I claim:

I. In a bathing suit having an upper portion of a smooth, sheer material and having an attached brassiere; two center panels of the brassiere each having an inwardly disposed edge, an upper edge, an outwardly disposed edge, and a lower edge, said center panels being joined by their inwardly disposed edges; outer panels of the brassiere each having an outwardly disposed edge, an inwardly disposed edge, an upper edge, and a lower edge; substantially triangular gussets of the brassiere each having an outwardly disposed edge, an inwardly disposed edge, and a lower edge; first seams joining the outwardly disposed edges of said gussets to the lower portions of the inwardly disposed edges of the outer panels; second seams joining the inwardly disposed edges of said gussets and the upper portions of the inwardly disposed edges. of said outer panels to the outwardly disposed edges of said center pane-ls; an elastic member of said brassiere disposed below and fixed to the lower edges of said center panels, said gussets, and said outer panels; at least one center panel of the upper portion of said bathing suit, said at least one center panel ofsaid bathing suit having upper and lower portion-s with at least the lower portion of said at least one center panel having outwardly facing edges; side panels of said bathing suit joined to the upper portions of said at least one center panel, said side panels of said bathing suit each having a lower portion with an inwardly facing edge; at least one decorative insert in said bathing suit, said at least one decorative insert having two upwardly disposed portions with upper ends terminating in an acute angle, each angle having an inwardly and an outwardly facing edge; third seams joining the outwardly taoin'g edges of the angles of said decorative insert to the inwardly tacing edges of said side panels of said bathing suit; and fourth seams joining the inwardly facing edges of the angles of said decorative insert to the outwardly'facing edges of the lower portions of said at least one center panel of said bathing suit, the upper edges of said center panels and the upper and outer edges of the outer panels of said brassiere being fixed to said at least one center panel and the side panels of said bathing suit so that the upper ends terminating in an acute angle of said at least one decorative insert of said bathing suit substantially corre spond to said gussets and so that said third and fourth seams ct. said bathing suit at least partially extend over said first and second seams of said bras'siere.

2. The combinationaccording to claim 1 wherein said at least one decorative insert of said'bathing suit is in the shape of a fish having a tail with two flukes, said fiukes forming said upwardly disposed portions substantially overlying said gussets. v

3. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said at least one decorative insert of said bathing suit is in the shape of a V, the. upper portions of said V forming said upwardly disposed portions substantially overlying said gussets.

4. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said at least one decorative insert of said bathing suit com prises. two decorative panels extending to the bottom of said bathing suit with each decorative panel providing one of said upwardly disposed portions substantially overlying one of said gussets.

5. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said at least one decorative insert of said bathing suit comprises two diamond shaped panels each providing one of said 5 upwardly disposed portions substantially overlying one of said gussetis.

6. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said side panels of said bathing suit have upper pontions past which the inwardly facing edges of said side panels exrtend, and with the addition of fifth seams joining the upper portions of said at least one center panel of said bathing suit tothe inwardly facing edges of the upper portions of the side panels of said bathing suit above said at least one decorative insert, said third, fourth and 1 fifth seams of said bathing suit extending substantially over said first and ewn of a d. sm References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 0 DELBERT B. LOWE, Primary Examiner,

A LE M- EAG i er, 

1. IN A BATHING SUIT HAVING AN UPPER PORTION OF A SMOOTH, SHEER MATERIAL AND HAVING AN ATTACHED BRASSIERE; TWO CENTER PANELS OF THE BRASSIERE EACH HAVING AN INWARDLY DISPOSED EDGE, AN UPPER EDG, AN OUTWARDLY DISPOSED EDGE, AND A LOWER EDGE, SAID CENTER PANELS BEING JOINED BY THEIR INWARDLY DISPOSED EDGES; OUTER PANELS OF THE BRASSIERE EACH HAVING AN OUTWARDLY DISPOSED EDGE, AN INWARDLY DISPOSED EDGE, AN UPPER EDGE, AND A LOWER EDGE; SUBSTANTIALLY TRIANGULAR GUSSETS OF THE BRASSIERE EACH HAVING AN OUTWARDLY DISPOSED EDGE, AN INWARDLY DISPOSED EDGE, AND A LOWER EDGE; FIRST EAMS, JOINING THE OUTWARDLY DISPOSED EDGES OF SAID GUSSETS TO THE LOWER PORTIONS OF THE INWARDLY DISPOSED EDGES OF THE OUTER PANELS; SECOND SEAM JOINING THE INWARDLY DISPOSED EDGES OF SAID GUSSETS AND THE UPPER PORTIONS OF THE INWARDLY DISPOSED EDGES OF SAID OUTER PANELS TO THE OUTWARDLY DISPOSED EDGES OF SAID OUTER PANELS ELASTIC MEMBER OF SAID BRASSIERE DISPOSED BELOW AND FIXED TO THE LOWER EDGES OF SAID CENTER PANELS, SAID GUSSETS, AND SAID JOINED TO THE UPPER PORTIONS OF SAID AT LEAST OLNE PORTION OF SAID BATHING SUIT, SAID AT LEAST OEN CENTER PANEL OF SAID BATHING SUIT HAVING UPPER AND LOWER PORTIONS WITH AT LEAST THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID AT LEAST ONE CENTER PANEL HAVING OUTWARDLY FACING EDGES; SIDE PANELS OF SAID BATHING SUIT JOINED TO THE UPPER PORTIONS OF SAID AT LEAST ONE CENTER PANEL, SAID SIDE PANELS OF SAID BATHING SUIT EACH HAVING A LOWER PORTION WITH AN INWARDLY FACING EDGE; AT LEAST ON DECORATIVE INSERT IN SAID BATHING SUIT, SAID AT LEAST ONE DECORATIVE INSERT HAVING TWO UPWARDLY DISPOSED PORTIONS WITH UPPER ENDS TERMINATING IN AN ACUTE ANGLE, EACH ANGLE HAVING AN INWARDLY AND AN OUTWARDLY FACING EDGE; THIRD SEAMS JOINING THE OUTWARDLY FACING EDGES OF THE ANGLES OF SAID DECORATIVE INSERT TO THE INWARDLY FACING EDGES OF SAID SIDE PANELS OF SAID BATHING SUIT; AND FOURTH SEAMS JOINING THE INWARDLY FACING EDGES OF THE ANGLES OF SAID DECORATIVE INSERT TO THE OUTWARDLY FACING EDGES OF THE LOWER PORTIONS OF SAID AT LEAST ONE CENTER PANELS SAID BATHING SUIT, THE UPPER EDGES OF SAID CUTTER PANELS AND THE UPPER AND OUTER EDGES OF THE OUTER PANELS OF SAID BRASSIERE BEING FIXED TO SAID AT LEAST ONE CENTER PANEL AND THE SIDE PANELS OF SAID BATHING SUIT SO THAT THE UPPER ENDS TERMNATING IN AN ACUTE ANGLE OF SAID AT LEAST ONE DECORATIVE INSERT OF SAID BATHING SUIT SUBTANTIALLY CORRESPOND TO SAID GUSSETS AND SO THAT SAID THIRD AND FOURTH SEAMS OF SAID BEATHING SUIT AT LEASRT PARTIALLY EXTEND OVER SAID FIRST AND SECOND SEAMS OF SAID BRASSIERE. 